Here’s what you missed from Round 1 of the Travelers Championship

It’s common for the field strength to be less than optimal at a tournament that’s held the week after a major, but that’s certainly not the case at the Travelers Championship, which is packed with some serious star power. Brooks, Phil, Jordan, Jason, JT and Louis are all in attendance, not to mention newly-minted professionals Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland.

Here’s everything you missed from Thursday’s action at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.

To decribe the leaderboard as tightly clustered would be an understatement. Sixty-four was the low round of the day at TPC River Highlands, and six players matched it: Ryan Armour, Bronson Burgoon, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Abraham Ancer, Mackenzie Hughes and Zach Sucher. Top top it off, there are six more players only only shot behind, including Keegan Bradley, Paul Casey and Chez Reavie.

?? @MacHughesGolf for a tie of the @TravelersChamp lead on his final hole of the First Round… ?#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/g9uewWqGmx

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 20, 2019

The list of high-profile players within three shots of the lead is extensive: Keegan Bradley (-5), Paul Casey (-5), Patrick Cantlay (-4), Tommy Fleetwood (-4), Louis Oosthuizen (-4), Phil Mickelson (-3) and Viktor Hovland (-3).

Sinking birdie putts from long distance. ?@Keegan_Bradley is T3 @TravelersChamp at -5. pic.twitter.com/kHSvq4MTaN

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 20, 2019

Of those names (all of whom are having excellent seasons), Patrick Cantlay’s star is currently shining brightest. He has a win (the Memorial) and eight total top-10 finishes thus far this season, including a solo-second at the Shriners and a T-3 at the PGA Championship.

Mercurial Phil Mickelson is off to a good start at the Travelers, posting an opening round of three-under-par 67 that included six birdies and three bogeys.

? @PhilMickelson with his 2nd near hole-out of the day. #MustSeeMoments: https://t.co/sX50naq5OH pic.twitter.com/qxx3ddSEqW

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 20, 2019

A win this week would mark the 45th of his career.

Kopeka and Spieth will need to have a good bounce-back round on Friday if they hope to stick around for the weekend. Kopeka fired a one-over-par 71 (four bogeys, three birdies) while Jordan Spieth was three-over (two bogeys, a triple-bogey, and two birdies).

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